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THE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECT
http://www.messianicbible.com
HEAR O ISRAEL
www.hearoisrael.org
SHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKER
www.sheepfoldgleanings.com
MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCE
http://www.messianicisrael.com
AZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM
GREENBAUM
http://www.azamra.org
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Torah: Exodus 30:11-34:35
Haftorah: 1 Kings 18:1-39
B’rit Chadashah: Matthew 9:35-11:1
All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted
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And ‫ יהוה‬spoke to Mosheh, saying, “When you take the census of
the children of Yisra’ĕl, to register them, then each one shall give
an atonement for his life to ‫יהוה‬, when you register them, so that
there is no plague among them when you register them. (Exodus
30:11-12)
The Torah portion is more often translated as “When You Take”
or “When You Take a Census”. However, this reads a little
different in the Hebrew; “Ki tisa et rosh B‟nei Yisra‟el l‟paqad
i‟hem l‟natanah ish kopher nefesha l„YHVH b‟paqad etam v‟lo
YHVH ba‟hem nagaph etam.” This literally means; “When you lift
up the heads of B‟nei Yisra‟el in the counting (paqad), they shall
give of each man an atonement for his soul to YHVH, when you
number (paqad) them, that from YHVH there be no plague
(nagaph) upon them.” This is about taking a census, or counting
the Children of Israel. However the implication here is that as
this is done, they are lifted up before ‫יהוה‬, as if they’re being
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inspected.
... shall give an atonement for his life to ‫יהוה‬.. (Exodus 30:12)
The Hebrew word used for atonement in this verse is koper,
which comes from the root K-P-R, or kaphar, meaning ‘to atone
for’ as in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
The atonement tax [ransom money] would shield the people
from judgment. It was intended as a ransom for each life, "that
there be no plague among them when you number them." The
required judgment of ‫ יהוה‬would not smite them if this tax, their
redemption price, was paid. The atonement tax taught Israel
that:
1. all men are guilty of sin, equally guilty, in His sight. As it is
written, ... there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall
short of the esteem of Elohim, (Romans 3:22-23)
2. The Israelites were shown that all men would be judged and
the same price (penalty) would be required of each. Paul
wrote, For the wages of sin is death, but the favourable gift
of Elohim is everlasting life in Messiah ‫ יהושע‬our Master.5
“Everyone among those who are registered is to give this: half a
sheqel [one-fifth of an ounce of silver] according to the sheqel of
the set-apart place, twenty gĕrahs being a sheqel. The halfsheqel is the contribution to ‫יהוה‬. (Exodus 30:13)
A shekel, is a measure of weight used in all aspects of the
Tabernacle and as the currency standard. One shekel equals 20
gerahs, so a half shekel would equal ten gerahs an important
number in Elohim’s economy. In “Hebrew thought”, “ten” is the
number of divine order. Ten is the numeric value of the letter
Yud, the first letter of ‫’יהוה‬s Name. There were ten generations
from Adam to Noah and 10 from Noah to Abraham. There are
also the “Ten” Commandments given at Mt. Sinai to complete
the Covenant. There were “ten” plagues brought on Egypt to
complete Yah’s judgment on the Mitzrites. There were a total of
“ten” rebellions in the wilderness. Then, there was the parable
of the “ten” virgins, given by ‫יהושע‬, to describe the kingdom just
prior to His return.
Note: The ransom for the “first born” (5 shekels) is exactly “ten”6
times that amount.
This atonement (contribution ~ terumah) was in silver, silver
(keseph) represents us (man) and our love for ‫ ;יהוה‬wherein
“gold” represents His love for us. The definition of silver is: a
soft, white, precious univalent metallic element having the
highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.
And the silver from the ones counted .. were for casting the
sockets of the set-apart place and the bases of the veil: .. And of
the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five sheqels he
made hooks for the columns, and overlaid their tops, and made
bands for them. (Exodus 38:25-28)
These are all integral parts to the support of the Mishkan. Those
who were counted as Israel formed the support for the Mishkan
(Dwelling Place) of ‫יהוה‬. The same applies to those who become
conductive to ‫’יהוה‬s will, will become the support in the new
Yerushalayim. “He who overcomes, I shall make him a supporting
post in the Dwelling Place of My Elohim, and he shall by no
means go out. And I shall write on him the Name of My Elohim
and the name of the city of My Elohim, the renewed7
Yerushalayim, .. and My renewed Name. (Revelation 3:12)
“Everyone passing over to be registered, ..to make atonement for
yourselves. (Exodus 30:14-15)
Chapter 30, verse 11, reads; “when you lift up the heads of the
Children of Israel in the counting,….” Verse 13 concludes with;
the half-shekel is the “contribution” to ‫יהוה‬. The word we read as
“contribution” is “terumah”; “terumah” is the elevation (or lifted
up) offering, a portion of which went to the priests. Verse 14
reads; Everyone passing over to be registered, from twenty years
old and above, gives a contribution to ‫יהוה‬. The word used here
for “passing over” (or passing through as some translations read)
is “abar” and also means to “trespass” or “transgress”. Also, in
verse 14, the word we read as “registered” (or “numbered” in
KJV) is “paqad” and means to “count” or “muster” as an army;
but also means “commands” (ordinances).
So we get a translation of “Everyone who transgresses the
commands”. That would mean that through this census, we have
‫ יהוה‬telling Moshe that when he “lifts up the Children of Israel to
count them, atonement is to be made for everyone who8
transgresses the Commands”.
“Everyone passing over to be registered, from twenty years old and
above, gives a contribution to ‫יהוה‬. (Exodus 30:14)
It was forbidden for leaders to count Israelites in the common, one
person-at-a-time manner, just to acquire demographic or statistical
information. When it was necessary for the census to be taken, it was
accomplished by having the people individually contribute an item,
which would then be counted instead.
And the silver from the ones counted of the congregation was one
hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five
sheqels, according to the sheqel of the set-apart place: a beqa, half a
sheqel for a head, according to the sheqel of the set-apart place, for
everyone passing over to those counted, from twenty years old and
above, for six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men.
(Exodus 38:25-26)
Note: An Israelite was reckoned to be a man at the age of twenty, was
liable to serve in the army at that age, go to war (2 Chron. 25:5), and
enter into other domestic and civil duties. Also at twenty the Levites
began their service in the Tabernacle/Temple (1 Chron. 23:24; 2 Chron.9
31:17; Ezra 3:8).]
‫ יהוה‬tells Moshe that when he takes the census of the Children of
Israel to give a half shekel for the atonement of his life “so that when
you number them, there is no plague / death among them.”
Throughout the rest of their wilderness experience, when sin entered
the camp, plagues and death broke out and many died. If we look at 1
Chronicles 21 we see this played out, in the same context as our
parsha:
And Satan stood up against Yisra’ĕl, and moved Dawiḏ to number
Yisra’ĕl. And Dawiḏ said to Yo’aḇ and to the rulers of the people, “Go,
number Yisra’ĕl from Be’ĕrsheḇa to Dan, and bring the number of them
to me so that I know it.” ... And it was evil in the eyes of Elohim,
concerning this matter, and He smote Yisra’ĕl. ... And ‫ יהוה‬sent a plague
upon Yisra’ĕl, and seventy thousand men of Yisra’ĕl fell. (1 Chronicles
21:1-14)
David counted his fighting men without the payment of the half
shekel. This tragic mistake led to the plague that followed and the
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death of seventy thousand men throughout the land.
The paying the half-shekel was merely a temporary solution to the
problem of man’s sin, Keil and Delitzsch say in their commentary on
this passage: As an expiation [atonement] for souls, it pointed to the
unholiness of Israel’s nature, and reminded the people continually that
by nature it was alienated from God, and could only remain in
covenant with the Lord and live in His kingdom on the ground of His
grace, which covered its sin (Ibid.) Keil and Delitzsch’s point is further
strengthened in Exodus 30:16, which says, “And you shall take the
silver for the atonement from the children of Yisra’ĕl, and give it for the
service of the Tent of Meeting. And it shall be to the children of Yisra’ĕl
for a remembrance before ‫יהוה‬, to make atonement for yourselves.”
(Exodus 30:16)
The Hebrew word for memorial is zikrown (Strong’s H2146)
meaning reminder, token, record. TWOT, a zikrown is an object or act
which brings something else to mind or which represents something
else. It reminded them of their sinfulness and pointed prophetically to
a Redeemer—Y’shua the Messiah—who would come and take away
their sins once and for all (Heb 10:10).
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... half a sheqel according to the sheqel of the set-apart place, twenty
gĕrahs being a sheqel. ..(Exodus 30:13)
Why would this be phrased this way? First, a half shekel, then a shekel
equaling 20 gerahs? Why not just say 10 gerahs? In the Hebrew, as we
have learned, ‫ יהוה‬chooses His words carefully, in order to instruct us.
Now, the word used here for “half” is “machatsiyth”, which means
“one half”. But, it also means to “halve” (as cut in two). It is from the
root “chatsah”, which means “divided”.
The promise of redemption and a whole nation from Abraham’s loins
was also made by the cutting in half of animals for the covenant. And
he took all these to Him and cut them in the middle, and placed each
half opposite the other, but he did not cut the birds. (Genesis 15:10)
The rabbis teach that this shows us that no one’s atonement is
complete until the other half, or House, of Israel is brought in, atoned
for in order to be counted. In other words, the Kingdom cannot be
atoned for until it is restored.
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“..The rich does not give more and the poor does not give less
than half a sheqel, when you ..make atonement for yourselves.
(Exodus 30:14-15)
The silver prophesies of Elohim drawing near to man on the basis
of the atoning work of Messiah ‫יהושע‬. Messiah ‫ יהושע‬fulfilled
our redemption price so that no plague would come upon us.
But we see that the same price is paid for everyone. The bible
does not distinguish between rich and poor, we are all going to
be held accountable. The rich and the poor meet together – ‫יהוה‬
is the Maker of them all. (Proverbs 22:2)
Even Satan does not distinguish: And he causes all, both small
and great, and rich and poor, and free and slave, to be given a
mark upon their right hand or upon their foreheads, and that no
one should be able to buy or sell except he that has the mark or
the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation
13:16-17)
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“And you shall make a basin of bronze.. for washing. ... “And
Aharon and his sons shall wash from it their hands and their feet.
“When they go into the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near
the altar to attend, to burn an offering made by fire to ‫יהוה‬, they
wash with water, lest they die. ..it shall be a law forever to them,
to him and his seed ...” (Exodus 30:18-21)
The word for bronze in Hebrew is Strong’s #5178
nechosheth which is the word used for both copper and bronze.
Bronze is made from a mix of copper and tin. Copper is a metal
used for prevention of disease. Bacteria will not grow on a
copper surface because it is biostatic. Copper doorknobs are used
by hospitals to reduce the transfer of disease, and copper tubing
in air-conditioning systems suppresses the spread of
Legionnaire’s Disease. One of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls found
in Israel was made of copper instead of the more fragile animal
skins. Today, technologically advanced surgeons save lives and
precious blood by using copper-clad scalpels. Copper is also the
standard benchmark for electrical conductivity. It conducts
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electrical current better than any other metal except silver.
In a recent newspaper article on the benefits of copper it was
noted that,
Most people check into a hospital with the hope of getting better.
However, many patients pick up serious infections during their
stay in the health-care system. Despite fastidious cleaning and
the routine use of gloves by staff, the number of hospitalacquired infections in Canada has swelled to an estimated
250,000 cases a year, resulting in 8,000 to 12,000 deaths. Other
developed countries are facing a similar threat to patient safety.
But U.S. researchers now think they have hit upon a relatively
easy way to overcome this serious problem – cover frequentlytouched surfaces with copper. Bacteria and viruses can’t survive
for very long on the metal, thereby reducing the risk of harmful
bugs spreading from one person to another.
“It is a simple, elegant solution,” said Michael Schmidt, a
professor at the Medical University of South Carolina.
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Dr. Schmidt led a pilot study in which copper was used instead of
stainless steel and plastic in a wide range of objects in the
intensive-care units of three U.S. hospitals. Copper covered the
bed rails, tray tables, call buttons, IV poles and chair arms.
When the researchers took culture swabs from the copper
surfaces, they found the level of microbes had “dropped well
below what is considered to be a risk,” Dr. Schmidt said. “And it
doesn’t need any intervention other than normal cleaning.” The
findings were presented at a recent medical conference in Atlanta.
Previous lab studies have shown that copper and copper alloys,
such as brass and bronze, kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria within two
hours.
Scientist aren’t sure why copper has such powerful anti-microbial
properties. But Dr. Schmidt suspects that copper’s killing power is
related to the fact that the metal is a tremendous conductor of
electricity. “What I think is probably happening is that microbes
are literally short-circuiting,” he said, adding that bacteria would
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lose electrons if they remain in constant contact with copper.
After giving our lives to ‫ יהושע‬and having experienced a status
change by coming from an unclean realm (of sin and death) to
‫’יהושע‬s Kingdom of Life/chai - we now experience ‫’יהושע‬s
sanctifying work operating in our lives, but the sanctifying
cleansing of the soul is our work. ‫ יהוה‬sanctifies and purifies us
through our obedience to His commands. It is not a work of or
for salvation but a work of obedience leading to holiness and
blessing.
After that He put water into a basin and began to wash the feet
of the taught ones, .. He came to Shimʽon Kĕpha, and he said to
Him, “Master, do You wash my feet?” ..‫ יהושע‬answered him, “If I
do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” (John 13:5-8)
‫ יהושע‬was preparing Peter for his role as priest in a royal
priesthood and holy nation, and unless he washed his feet for
change of status he would not be allowed to serve. Obedience
brings the blessing. So then subject yourselves to Elohim. Resist
the devil and he shall flee from you. Draw near to Elohim and He
shall draw near to you. Cleanse hands, sinners. And cleanse the
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hearts, you double-minded! (James 4:7-8)
And ‫ יהוה‬spoke to Mosheh, saying, “And take for yourself choice
spices, five hundred sheqels of liquid myrrh, and half as much – two
hundred and fifty – of sweet-smelling cinnamon, and two hundred
and fifty of sweet-smelling cane, and five hundred of cassia,
according to the sheqel of the set-apart place, and a hin of olive oil.
“And you shall make from these a set-apart anointing oil, a
compound, blended, the work of a perfumer. ... “And with it you shall
anoint the Tent of Meeting and the ark of the Witness, and the table
and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar
of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the
basin and its stand. “And you shall set them apart, and they shall be
most set-apart. Whatever touches them is to be set-apart. “And you
shall anoint Aharon and his sons, and set them apart, to serve as
priests to Me. “And speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘This is a
set-apart anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. ‘It shall
not be poured on the flesh of a man, and make no other like it,
according to its composition. It is set-apart, it is set-apart to you.
‘Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a
stranger, shall be cut off from his people.’ ” (Exodus 30:22-33) 18
Anointing is required before service to ‫יהוה‬. This oil was sacred and not
for any other use. The definition of “consecrate” in the
Hebrew, qadash (Strong’s #6942 and TWOT #1990), is: to consecrate,
sanctify, prepare, dedicate; be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be
separate; to be set apart, to be consecrated. It denotes two concepts:
separation from the world and thoughts thereof, as well as the
implication of total devotion to ‫יהוה‬, leaving the worldly things behind
and completely dedicating oneself to Him.
For this purpose Elohim gives Moses the recipe for anointing oil; a very
special anointing oil from “choice spices”:
The Hebrew word used here for “choice” is “rosh” (reish-aleph-shin),
Strong’s #7218 meaning “the head”, “the choicest”, and “the best”. The
numeric value of “rosh” is 501, which, in addition to “best”, equals
“eras” or “betrothed” and “ta‟ameen” or “you shall have assurance”.
These “choicest” spices and olive oil would become the most set-apart
of anointing oil.
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500 shekels of “liquid myrrh” (mem-reish):
• In its liquid state, since it’s a gum taken from the Arabian acacia tree,
it’s very sweet smelling. However, it is very bitter to the taste. The
word myrrh is from the root word “marar” which means to “be” or
“make bitter”.
• 500 is the numeric value of “resh” or “to take possession”,
“v‟nachalata” or “his inheritance” and “kee leetem“ or “you have
fulfilled”. Now, the numeric value of myrrh is 240, which also equals
“peytza” or “wound”, “le‟barah” or “to pass through” and “mi
pekudah” or “those that were numbered”.
Here, in the 500 shekels of myrrh, we get the picture of Israel as “His
inheritance passing through to be numbered”.
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250 shekels of “cinnamon”.
• The Hebrew here is “qinnamown” (kuf-nun-mem-vav-nun), Strong’s
#7076 meaning “a fragrant laurel tree bark, sweet in odor” and is
only grown in India and Ceylon.
• 250 (as in the shekels) is the numeric value of “meree” or
“rebellious”, “k‟sam‟im” or “divination”, “voo darach” or
“wandering” and “m‟horeb” or “from Horeb”. The numeric value of
“qinnamown” is 246 which also equals “l‟ha eer” or “to give light”,
“me daber” or “speaking”, “mar‟eh” or “appearance” and “midbar”
or “wilderness”.
Here, we see that “to those wandering from Horeb, He appeared and
spoke to them in the wilderness”.
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250 shekels of “sweet smelling cane”.
• The Hebrew word here is “besem qaneh” which literally means
“sweet” or “balsamic” “calamus”. “Calamus” or “qaneh” (kuf-nunhey) is Strong’s #7070 and means a “sweet smelling reed”. But it also
means “measuring rod”, the “balance beam” of a scale, “purchased”,
the “shaft and branches of the menorah” and “Creator”.
• 250 (shekels) meaning “rebellious”, “divination”, “wandering” and
“from Horeb”. Now, the numeric value of “qaneh” is 155, which also
equals “qanah” or “he bought”, “v‟eelqet” or “and he gathered”,
“l‟kohenim” or “for the priests” and “na‟aylah” or “were taken up”.
Here, these same people who wandered, “He bought and He gathered
for priests; and, they were taken up”.
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500 shekels of “cassia”.
• The Hebrew word here is “qiddah” (kuf-dalet-hey), Strong’s #6916,
meaning also to “bow down”. It is a sweet smelling spice made from
the bark of a Chinese evergreen tree and is compared to camphor.
• 500 (shekels), which equals His “possession”, “His inheritance” and
“you have fulfilled”. And, the numeric value of “qiddah” is 109, which
equals “l‟ehdah” or “for a witness”, “l‟yadah” or “to know”,
“v‟henachem” or “and repent”, “l‟edah” or “the congregation”, “eez
b‟lenee” or “will dwell with me” and “han cheelah” or “he makes to
inherit”.
In the “ 500 shekels of cassia” we see that “He makes His inheritance,
the congregation, live with Him for a witness, for repentance and to
know. And He makes them to inherit”.
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Add to these a “hin of olive oil”.
• A “hin” is a measure of about 5 quarts. It is spelled hey-yud-nun and
has the numeric value of 65 which also equals “ha kela‟ee” or
“vessels”, “Adonai”, “ad nee” or the “sockets” of the Mishkan and
“m‟adacha” or “your possessions”.
• “oil of the olive” or “shemen zayith” (shin-mem-nun and zayin-yudchet) which has a numeric value of 415 which, also equals “d‟atah”
or “her issue / sickness” (as in the woman with the issue of blood that
was healed by touching Yahshua’s tzit-tzit), “haMishkan / the
Tabernacle” and “haKodesh / the set-apart”.
‫ יהוה‬ordered it specially blended; “the work of a perfumer”.
• The Hebrew word here is “raqach” (reish-kuf-chet) and means “to
compound” or “compounder / mixer”. The numeric value of “raqach”
is 308 which also corresponds to “search out”, “come near”, “he shall
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wash” and “shuv / return”.
These ingredients are included in the context of; “smells sweet / tastes
bitter”, “His possession”, “His inheritance”, “rebellious”, “wandering
from Horeb”, “He appears to us and speaks to us in the wilderness”,
“He bought us and will gather us, make us priests and take us up” and
“He has fulfilled His plan, for a witness and makes the congregation to
inherit” the Kingdom of heaven (Yisra‟el) on earth.
This anointing oil, that was not to be copied and is for no man; that oil
is ‫’יהוה‬s alone. It’s for the anointing of His set-apart sanctuary and all
the utensils of the Tent of Meeting (His Dwelling Place), where He will
meet with us. And, it’s for the anointing of His Priests. That oil is His
Spirit in our lives. It represents everything you’ve done, everything
you’ll ever do and everything He’ll do with you and for you. ‫ יהוה‬wants
to anoint His House with you. That’s how much He loves you.
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And ‫ יהוה‬said to Mosheh, “Take sweet spices, fragrant gum and
cinnamon and galbanam, and clear frankincense with these sweet
spices, all in equal amounts. “Then you shall make of these an incense,
a compound, work of a perfumer, salted, clean, set-apart. “And you
shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Witness in
the Tent of Meeting where I meet with you, it is most set-apart to you.
“And the incense which you make, do not make any for yourselves,
according to its composition, it is set-apart to you for ‫יהוה‬. “Whoever
makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”
(Exodus 30:34-38)
This time Torah describes the incense to place before the Witness (the
Ark and the Torah) where He met with Moshe and Yehoshua, and will
meet with the High Priest.
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“Aromatic plant substances” or “Sweet spices”, “nataph” (fragrant
gum), and means “drops of sap”, “gum” or “resin”.
• The numeric value of “nataph” is 139 which also equals “achaleq” or
“I will divide”, “ha paduy‟im” or “the redeemed” and “Yahzeel” or
“Yah distributes”.
Spices:
1. Sweet onycha root - The ISR Scriptures say “cinnamon” was used.
That is really a mistranslation. The word in Hebrew is “sheqeleth”
(shin-chet-lamed-tav) and is elsewhere translated as “onycha”.
What it is, is the ground-up shell of a certain mussel found only in
lakes in India; that when burnt, smells like sweet musk.
• The numeric value of “sheqeleth” is 738, which also equals
“teshelach” which means “will send”, “to send forth” and “shall
let go”.
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“galbanum”, which is the Hebrew word “chelbenah” (chetlamed-bet-nun-hey) meaning a “strong, sweet tree resin” or
“gum” from Arabia. However, it is from the root word
“cheled” meaning to be “lasting” or “enduring” as in
“forever”.
• The numeric value of the letters in “chelbenah” is 95,
which equals “ha mayim” or “the waters”.
3. “zak” or “pure” “frankincense”. In the Hebrew, it’s “lebonah”
(lamed-bet-vav-nun-hey) and in its purest form is a white
tree resin that is very fragrant. It’s from the root word
“laban” meaning “white” or “pure”.
• The numeric value of “lebonah” is 93 which also equals
“Chuppah” or “bridal canopy”, “m‟gan” or “from the
garden”, “b‟eloni” or “by the terebinths”, “v‟eem l‟maoo”
or “they were fulfilled” and “l‟mach iyah” or “to preserve
life”.
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2.
It was to be salted, clean and set-apart.
• The Hebrew word is “malach” which literally means “to cleanse by
washing, or rubbing, with salt”. It’s like rubbing meat with salt, to remove
the blood.
• The numeric value is 78 which also equals “lechem” or “bread” or “food”
and “va nee zebachah” or “that we may sacrifice”.
• This salting makes it “tahor” (pure or clean) “Tahor” has a numeric value
of 220 which also equals “Ruach / Spirit, breath or wind”, “v‟yarad” or
“and he came down” and “v‟yered” or “and he shall have dominion”.
This incense is to be “kodesh”, “set-apart” to only ‫יהוה‬. The numeric value
of Kodesh is 404 and equals “v‟yeem shachem” or “and he anointed them”.
The incense is to be “beaten very fine”. The Hebrew word here for beat is
“shachaq” and literally means to “rub” or “wear away” like stones
tumbling. The numeric value of “shachaq” is 408 which also equals “vee
b‟katzir” or “in the harvest”, “chashak” or “he did love” and “t‟ahavah” or
“shall desire”.
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This incense is to be ‫’יהוה‬s own “sweet savor” to Him. The words and
phrases associated with His incense, are “sweet spices”, “lasting and
enduring forever” even though He for a time “divides us and distributes
us” throughout the world. It’s in His purpose for us to find our brothers
and share the Kingdom with them; that we all might be made “clean,
white and pure” in order to dwell under His “chuppah, in the garden, by
the terebinth trees (the upright ones)”. If we will submit ourselves to His
washing, His tumbling so to speak, then He “will come down, fill us with
His Spirit, feed us the Bread of Life and anoint us that we might have
dominion”.
To ‫יהוה‬, we are also a sweet fragrance. Sha’ul spoke of this: But thanks be
to Elohim who always leads us on, to overcome in Messiah, and manifests
through us the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. Because we are
to Elohim the fragrance of Messiah among those who are being saved
and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death
to death, and to the other the fragrance of life to life. And who is
competent for these? For we are not, as so many, adulterating the Word
of Elohim for gain ... we speak in Messiah. (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)
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“See, I have called by name Betsal’ĕl son of Uri, son of Ḥur, of the tribe
of Yehuḏah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of Elohim in wisdom,
and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work, (Exodus 31:23)
Betzalel was the “son of Uri” (Aleph-vav-reish-yud). Strong’s
Concordance says his name means “Fiery” but, the direct translation
from the Hebrew is “of light”. So, he was “ben Uri” a “son of light”. He
was the grandson of “Hur” meaning “white” or “pure” as linen or
someone “having white garments”.
That’s the description of those who overcome, according to ‫ יהושע‬in
“He who overcomes shall be dressed in white robes, and I shall by no
means blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I shall confess his
name before My Father and before His messengers. (Revelation 3:5)
And of course, Betzalel is from the tribe of “Yehudah” those who
“praise Yah”.
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His name comes from the combination of three Hebrew
words: be (in), tzel (shade), and El (God), and can be translated
“in the shadow (protection) of Elohim”.
The rabbis, who calculated his age from the genealogies in
Scripture, tell us that he was approximately 13 years old at this
time. That means he went into the “Promised Land”. The
numeric value of the letters in his name is “153”. Where do we
see this: Shimʽon Kĕpha went up and dragged the net to land,
filled with one hundred and fifty-three big fishes. And though
there were so many, the net was not broken. (John 21:11)
“153” also equals B‟nei Elohim (Children of Elohim) and for us in
the shadow or protection of God. The shade or shadow (tzel) of
the Lord is such a secret, special place of refuge.
‫ יהושע‬made reference to this place of refuge when he wept over
Jerusalem, knowing the calamity that was about to befall the
city. Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim, ..How often I wished to gather
your children together, the way a hen gathers her chickens under
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her wings, but you would not! (Matthew 23:37)
“
The word artist in Hebrew is aman from the Hebrew root aleph,
men, and nun, meaning reliable, faithful, confirmed, have faith,
and to be firm. These three letters are also the root of the word
we use at the end of our prayers–amen–meaning so be it, verily,
and truly. The same three letter Hebrew root word also forms
the word emunah which means faith.
Here in Israel, Bezalel’s name carries such weight that one of the
main streets of downtown Jerusalem is named after him. Also
named after Bezalel are schools of art here in Israel, and Jewish
academies around the world.
This study inspires us to let our creativity flow and no longer
consider creative endeavours ‘non-productive’ and a waste of
time. If we just look at the amazing variety and colours and
incredible designs in the natural world, we can see that God
values beauty for its own sake, and enjoys the process of
creating.
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“Oholiab” (Aleph-hey-lamed-yud-aleph-beit) or “My Father‟s House”
son of “Ahisamak” (Aleph-chet-yud-samech-mem-kaf) or “my brother
is support”.
To build the Dwelling Place of the Most High; as brothers, we are
supporting posts of His Hekal (His House). In addition to “white
garments”, as we’ve read together many times, Yahshua said in
Revelation 3:12; “He who overcomes, I shall make him a supporting
post in the Dwelling Place of My Elohim.
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“And you, speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘My Sabbaths you
are to guard, by all means, for it is a sign between Me and you
throughout your generations, to know that I, ‫יהוה‬, am setting you
apart. ‘Six days work is done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of rest,
set-apart to ‫יהוה‬. Everyone doing work on the Sabbath day shall
certainly be put to death. ‘And the children of Yisra’ĕl shall guard the
Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as an
everlasting covenant. (Exodus 31:13-16)
The work of building the tabernacle was an immensely important
task! And yet in the midst of the instructions to build it, God reminds
the Israelites to keep the Sabbath (Shabbat) – to rest. As important as
any of our works are, even for the Lord, resting on Shabbat takes
precedence. Even the work of God was not permitted to be elevated
above the command to rest on the Sabbath. It is to be observed as a
perpetual covenant, throughout time and generations.
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..when the people saw that Mosheh was so long in coming down from
the mountain, the people gathered together to Aharon, and said to
him, “Arise, make us mighty ones who go before us. For this Mosheh,
the man who brought us up out of the land of Mitsrayim, we do not
know what has become of him.” And Aharon said to them, “Take off
the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and
your daughters, and bring them to me.” “And all the people took off the
golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aharon.
And he took this from their hand, and he formed it with an engraving
tool, and made a moulded calf...they said, “This is your mighty one, O
Yisra’ĕl, that brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim!” And Aharon
saw and built an altar before it... Aharon called out ..“Tomorrow is a
festival to ‫יהוה‬.” (Exodus 32:1-5)
The worship of the “golden calf”. It sounds silly, doesn’t it? It seems
hard to believe that the children of Israel, after experiencing the voice
and the glory of ‫יהוה‬, could have stooped to such a low as to demand
for and worship an idol calf made of gold. There must be more to the
story.
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We are told that Moses (and Joshua) ascended Mt. Sinai without
telling the people exactly when he would return:
And ‫ יהוה‬said to Mosheh, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be
there, while I give you tablets of stone, and the Torah and the
command which I have written, to teach them.” And Mosheh arose
with his assistant Yehoshua, and Mosheh went up to the mountain of
Elohim. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back
to you. And see, Aharon and Ḥur are with you. Whoever has matters,
let him go to them.” (Exodus 24:12-14)
The information that Moses leaves with the elders is totally openended as far as when he will return, however we find out later it was
.... forty days and forty nights. (Exodus 24:18)
It must be noted up to this point Moses has gone on that mountain
more than once to speak to Elohim: Exodus 19:3, 19:20, 24:1. None of
these previous trips appear to have been more than a day or two. So
how long do you think the children of Israel thought Moses would be
gone?
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And the appearance of the esteem of ‫ יהוה‬was like a consuming fire on
the top of the mountain, before the eyes of the children of Yisra’ĕl.
(Exodus 24:17)
Mankind is by nature impatient. In fact we have a name for that and it
describes us clearly … instant gratification. What would we have
thought? Perhaps Moses had been consumed by the fire on that
mountain. It had been so long … he was probably dead. SOMEONE
would have to make a decision about what to do from here. They
probably waited with great expectation for days, even weeks…then the
stress of the situation became too much for them.
What we do see is that nobody is talking about returning to Egypt. The
conversations were consumed with “what shall we do?” They had
been told over and over again of their future destination, .. a land
flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Kenaʽanites and the
Ḥittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Ḥiwwites and the
Yeḇusites. (Exodus 3:8, 3:17, 6:8). They knew where they were headed
(Canaan), but they really didn’t know many of the details for the
journey.
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What did they have?
“See, I am sending a Messenger before you to guard you in the way
and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. “Be on guard
before Him and obey His voice. Do not rebel against Him, for He is not
going to pardon your transgression, for My Name is in Him. .. “For My
Messenger shall go before you and shall bring you in to the Amorites
and the Ḥittites and the Perizzites and the Kenaʽanites and the
Ḥiwwites and the Yeḇusites, and I shall cut them off. (Exodus 23:20-23)
An angel is the Hebrew word melak and it means “messenger”. It can
be a person, like the leaders of the assemblies in Revelation 2 & 3, or it
can be of divine nature. The people would have thought this
angel/melak was Moses? Certainly Moses had performed many
miracles in the Name of ‫יהוה‬. So with the information that they had,
they formed a conclusion:
..when the people.. said ...“Arise, make us mighty ones who go before
us. For this Mosheh, ..we do not know what has become of him.”
(Exodus 32:1)
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There are two similar phrases in Exodus 23:20 and Exodus 32:1?
• Exodus 23:20 – send an angel before you
• Exodus 32:1 – make us gods that will go before us
The word for gods in Exodus 32:1 is “Elohim”. This Hebrew word is
usually used in the context of our Creator and Judge ‫ יהוה‬Elohim, but is
sometimes translated in other ways:
Yet You have made him a little less than Elohim (angels), And have
crowned him with esteem and splendour. (Psalms 8:5)
So perhaps what they are asking for is not a replacement for the
Elohim that led them out of Egypt, but rather someone who would go
before them. We know from Exodus 32:1 that they believed it was
Moses who had led them out of the land of Egypt. They are looking for
another leader, and in their minds this malek/elohim could be a
symbol (they still had an Egyptian mindset) as well as a person. In their
minds, they were not actively seeking idolatry or polytheism. They
were just reverting back to what was familiar to them. They were
aware of the requirement that “‫’יהוה‬s Name must be in him” (Exodus
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23:21).
And he took this from their hand, and he formed it with an engraving
tool, and made a moulded calf...they said, “This is your mighty one, O
Yisra’ĕl, that brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim!” (Exodus 32:4)
Something is amiss, Israel just declared in Exodus 32:1 that it was
Moses that had led them out of Egypt? Or….in the same way that they
knew it was ‫ יהוה‬that led them out of Egypt yet in their words they say
it was Moses that led them….were they also hoping that this calf could
act as the symbol of the same ‫ יהוה‬they had put their trust in? In other
words the calf just represented ‫יהוה‬. They were not trying to replace
‫יהוה‬, they were trying to replace Moses. Man has a need to have a
visible proof of ‫’יהוה‬s Presence. ‫ יהוה‬knew of that need, and had they
waited for Moses to return they would have received the plans for the
Tabernacle – ‫’יהוה‬s choice for a physical reality based on a heavenly
model.
The same way today the cross has become a physical symbol of the
presence of ‫ יהוה‬for many believers?
41
Now the actions that Aaron and the children of Israel took seem
to make sense because the next scenario is almost identical to
what happened 40 days earlier on Mt. Sinai. Compare the two:
And Mosheh ..rose up early in the morning, and built an altar at
the foot of the mountain, and twelve standing columns for the
twelve tribes of Yisra’ĕl. And he sent young men of the children
of Yisra’ĕl, and they offered burnt offerings and slaughtered
peace slaughterings of bulls to ‫יהוה‬. .. they saw Elohim, and they
ate and drank. (Exodus 24:4-11)
And Aharon saw and built an altar before it. And Aharon called
out and said, “Tomorrow is a festival to ‫יהוה‬.” And they rose early
on the next day, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace
offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up
to play. (Exodus 32:5-6)
The similarities?
• An altar built in front of some sort of a symbol
• Burnt offerings and peace offerings were offered
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• Eating and drinking
We know that the nation had some issues coming out of Egypt. The
culture that they had lived in for hundreds of years had taken its toll on
them and they had not completely given up their pagan ways:
“And you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master ‫יהוה‬, “On the day
when I chose ... to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim .. I said to
them, ‘Each one of you, throw away the abominations which are
before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of
Mitsrayim! ..“But they rebelled against Me .. I resolved to pour out My
wrath on them .. But I acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be
profaned before the eyes of the gentiles .. (Ezekiel 20:5-9)
These verses make it clear that what we have is a group of people who
have physically left Egypt, but still have some of Egypt left in them.
They have already been given some truth:
“You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that
which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or
which is in the waters under the earth, (Exodus 20:4)
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And ‫ יהוה‬said to Mosheh, “I have seen this people, and see, it is a stiffnecked people! (Exodus 32:9)
Someone with a stiff neck is not able to turn his head from the
direction that he is going. Now if you’re going in the proper
direction…no problem!
Consider the path of your feet, And all your ways are established. Do
not turn to the right or the left; Turn your foot away from evil.
(Proverbs 4:26-27)
But if you are walking based on the old ways that you are accustomed
to…and they are contrary to Yah’s ways, and you are stubborn and will
not change….then you are risking the anger of ‫יהוה‬. In fact He has this
to say about stubbornness:
“For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as
wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of ‫יהוה‬,
He also does reject you as sovereign.” (1 Samuel 15:23)
This verse is right on with what happened to the Israelites.
Stubbornness led them directly into idolatry…even though in their
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minds, they would not have called it this.
And when the people saw that Mosheh was so long in coming
down from the mountain, the people gathered together to
Aharon, and said to him, .. we do not know what has become of
him.” (Exodus 32:1)
The Hebrew word for long in coming is a term that actually
implies that Moses had disappointed them. They had their own
ideas of how long he should be up there on that mountain. They
took their disappointment and turned it into a demand for a new
leader who would fit their needs. Aaron was their choice since
Joshua was not with them either. They remembered the promise
for the land and they determined that it was time to move
forward to claim their inheritance.
Another phrase in the verse up above has significance… “we do
not know”. This can be our downfall. Actually it was the downfall
of Adam and Eve. They “did not know” if what the serpent was
telling them was correct. How many times are we guilty of this
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when we become tired of waiting?
We would benefit to learn the valuable lesson of waiting on ‫יהוה‬.
Waiting with steadfast endurance is a great expression of faith. It
means enduring patiently in confident hope that ‫ יהוה‬will act for the
salvation of His people. Here are some beautiful verses on waiting:
And it shall be said in that day, “See, this is our Elohim. We have waited
for Him, and He saves us. This is ‫יהוה‬, we have waited for Him, let us be
glad and rejoice in His deliverance.” (Isaiah 25:9)
but those who wait on ‫ יהוה‬renew their strength, they raise up the
wing like eagles, they run and are not weary, they walk and do not
faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Advice for those of us who are eager to get to their inheritance:
Rest in ‫יהוה‬, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him
who prospers in his way, Because of the man doing wicked devices.
Abstain from displeasure, and forsake wrath; Do not fret, also to do
evil. For evil-doers are cut off; But those who wait on ‫יהוה‬, They shall
inherit the earth. (Psalms 37:7-9)
46
The very last command that ‫ יהושע‬gave to His disciples before His
ascension included waiting:
And meeting with them, He commanded them not to leave
Yerushalayim, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which you
have heard from Me (Acts 1:4)
Had the disciples not waited as instructed, they would have missed
being baptized with the Holy Spirit. Think of all those who
waited….Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Moses,
David, Paul…. nearly everyone waited for the promises given to them.
In Hebrew, the root of hope is wait. ‫ יהוה‬is the source of hope for His
people, though they may have to wait.
‘For I know the plans I am planning for you,’ declares ‫יהוה‬, ‘plans of
peace and not of evil, to give you a future and an expectancy.
(Jeremiah 29:11)
47
Now look how Paul teaches the concepts of waiting (persevering) and
hope:
Therefore, having been declared right by belief, we have peace with
Elohim through our Master ‫ יהושע‬Messiah, through whom also we
have access by belief into this favour in which we stand, and we exult in
the expectation of the esteem of Elohim. And not only this, but we also
exult in pressures, knowing that pressure works endurance; and
endurance, approvedness; and approvedness, expectation. And
expectation does not disappoint, because the love of Elohim has been
poured out in our hearts by the Set-apart Spirit which was given to us.
(Romans 5:1-5)
And with verse 5 we connect again to Exodus 32:1 with the word
“disappoint” which we saw earlier as one of the meanings of “delay”.
Thus in Romans 5 we see the process of maturation as we are led in
our trials from “waiting” to “hoping” which will not “disappoint”.
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For the Master ‫ יהוה‬does no matter unless He reveals His secret to His
servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)
Ancient sources speak of the descendants of Joseph (Ephraim) leaving
Egypt prematurely (30 years too early), and as a result being
massacred. The Jewish Encyclopedia surmises that the tribe of
Ephraim miscalculated the time of their deliverance from Egypt by 30
years. Because they rebelled against the Word of Elohim in leaving
Egypt before the end of the captivity destined by Elohim had arrived,
all except ten were slain in their battle with the Philistines. The ten
men who escaped from the battle returned to Egypt and related to
their brothers what had happened. According to Rashi, the source of
the miscalculation was counting the years of exile from the Abrahamic
Covenant, and not from the birth of Isaac, 30 years later.
The Bible teaches a second Exodus. The details of that Exodus have still
not been revealed to us. What we do know is that we must wait on
Him. There is a danger of pressing on without Him.
And belief is the substance of what is expected, the proof of what is not
seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
49
What was the result of the children of Israel not waiting on ‫ ?יהוה‬They
made their own symbol and they identified it with ‫יהוה‬. They declared
a feast day in the name of ‫ יהוה‬and celebrated in a way they found
appropriate. Golden calf worship mixes ‫’יהוה‬s system of worship with
Egyptian, Babylonian, and Roman practices and beliefs and calls this
true worship.
Hundreds of years later, with the split of the Northern Kingdom,
Jeroboam (Ephraimite) developed his own golden calf worship (1 King
12:26-33). He built two tabernacles and strategically placed them in
the Northern Kingdom. One was north in the city of Dan and the other
was on the southern border that divided the two kingdoms. Jeroboam
mixed the Torah worship of ‫ יהוה‬with the Egyptian golden calf worship.
He came up with a new festival date and called it ‫’יהוה‬s.
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During their time in slavery, the children of Israel would have had
much exposure to Egyptian sun-god worship. According to Egyptian
mythology, the Egyptians worshipped Ra as their chief Sungod. The
characteristics of Ra were said to be portrayed in the strong and virile
bull who they named Apis. Apis was the most important of all the
sacred animals in Egypt, and was said to have been conceived from a
light ray from heaven. Sometimes Apis was pictured with his mother’s
sun ray between his horns.
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And he took the calf which they had made, and burned it in the fire,
and ground it into powder, and scattered it on the face of the water
and made the children of Yisra’ĕl drink it. .. “Who is for ‫ ?יהוה‬Come to
me.” And all the sons of Lĕwi gathered themselves to him. And he said
to them, “Thus said ‫ יהוה‬Elohim of Yisra’ĕl: ‘Each one put his sword on
his side, pass over to and fro from gate to gate in the camp, and each
one slay his brother, and each one his friend, and each one his relative.’
” And the sons of Lĕwi did according to the word of Mosheh. And about
three thousand men of the people fell that day. (Exodus 32:20-28)
How did the Levites know which people were unfaithful to ‫?יהוה‬
Numbers 5 describes the test of the unfaithful wife called the Law of
Jealousy. The drink caused the unfaithful wife’s abdomen to swell and
her thigh to waste away. If they were faithful, no harm would come to
them by the drink. In Exodus 32, those who served Moses had no
trouble seeing who was faithful and who was not faithful to ‫יהוה‬. The
people killed that day had the extended abdomen and the rotting
thigh.
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While Moses was "blotted out", as it were, from the previous
parshah of TETZAVEH, he is the central figure in our present
parshah of KI TISA. In the previous parshah we saw that the role
of the Priest, as epitomized in Aaron, is to secure atonement. But
how can atonement come when the priest himself is in need of
atonement -- when the splendour of religious service itself has
become corrupted because of the inherent "flaw" in this-worldly
glory?
KI TISA teaches that ultimately, atonement can come only
through from the Sage, as epitomized in Moses (whose
characteristic quality is NETZACH, "Victory" -- as when he
"argues" with ‫ יהוה‬when pleading for forgiveness). Moses alone
"found favor" in ‫'יהוה‬s eyes, eliciting the revelation of the
Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (Ex. 34:6): Both before the sin and
after the sin, ‫ יהוה‬does not change. He is always the same:
"loving and gracious, patient, and abundant in mercy and truth."
True atonement comes from practicing these same virtues: "And
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you shall go in His ways" (Deut. 28:9).
And ‫ יהוה‬passed before him and proclaimed, “‫יהוה‬, ‫יהוה‬, an Ěl
compassionate and showing favour, patient, and great in kindness and
truth, watching over kindness for thousands, forgiving crookedness and
transgression and sin, but by no means leaving unpunished1, visiting
the crookedness of the fathers upon the children and the children’s
children to the third and the fourth generation.” Footnote: 1This is
confirmed in Num. 14:18, and in Jer. 30:11. (Exodus 34:6-7)
While the sanctimonious nations of the world never cease berating
and criticizing the Jews and Israel for their supposed sins, the actual
followers of the Torah continue with the inglorious work of Teshuvah,
scrutinizing themselves for flaws and striving to correct them instead
of denying and papering over them. "And He, being compassionate,
will atone for sin".
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After the children of Israel are once more in the good graces of ‫יהוה‬,
He repeats the commandment to not make an idol:
“Do not make a moulded mighty one for yourselves. (Exodus 34:17)
If you continue reading through verse 25, you will find what you should
do instead:
• Keep the feast of Unleavened Bread (includes Passover)
• Keep the Shabbat
• Keep Shavuot (Pentecost)
• Keep Sukkot (Feast of Ingathering – fall)
I think we can see where the heart of the Father is. Waiting is difficult.
But He’s told us what to do while we wait. And what could be better
than to rest on the Sabbath and to celebrate the Feasts!
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